The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for transporting and for simultaneously changing the orientation of relatively large (bulky) commodities, particularly for transporting and simultaneously turning stacks of superimposed sheets or panels which are made of cardboard, paper, metallic or plastic foil, textile material or the like.
It is known to change the orientation of stacks of paper sheets during transport along an elongated path wherein the stacks rest on two transporting units each of which has one or more endless bent conveyors advancing in the same direction but at different speeds. Reference may be had, for example, to commonly owned German Offenlegungsschrift No. 32 21 601 of Lembcke et al. Such apparatus can be employed to change the orientation of successive stacks through an angle of 90.degree. , 180.degree. or any other desired angle. It is also known to vary the speed of the belt conveyor or conveyors in at least one of the transporting units to thus select the extent to which the stack or stacks change their orientation during travel with the upper reaches of the conveyors of the two transporting units. Presently known apparatus of the above outlined character exhibit certain drawbacks, especially as concerns the predictability of frictional engagement between the undersides of the stacks and the belt conveyors as well as the likelihood of defacing or otherwise adversely influencing the lowermost sheet or sheets of the stacks.